Face Transplant Patient on Cover of GQ

July 29, 2014

Richard Norris, 39

A Virginia man who lost half of his face to a shotgun accident, lived 15 years of his life without the bottom portion of his face, then received a face transplant has now graced the pages of GQ magazine with his own photoshoot.

Richard Norris received one of the world’s most extensive facial transplants in March of 2012, replacing everything below his eyes. Everything from his eyelids, to his jaw, and even his teeth once belonged to a 21-year old man named Josh.

In 1997, a 22-year old Norris blew off half of his face with a 12 gauge shotgun, according to GQ. Though he doesn’t remember anything from the incident and depends on his mom to recall that horrific day.

Richard Norris

For 15 years since the incident, Norris lived with his parents in rural Virginia as a near recluse until Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez and a team at the university of Maryland Medical Center performed an extensive face-transplant operation that lasted 36 hours. It was only the 23rd procedure to have taken place. It was also the doctor’s first time performing the operation on a live patient.

Despite being given a 50% chance to survive the procedure, Norris made it through and has thrived since. There are still concerns that his body might reject the face, for which he takes medication to keep that from happening.

His life may not be a normal one, considering he can’t get a job, and he can’t drive due to his risk of having seizures, but being an inspiration to so many people more than makes up for it.